Concepts & Philosophies

hEARTWORKS Concepts

Our logo includes the three basic concepts of Heartworks that act as guidelines for our meetings as well as the daily lives of members who choose to embrace these concepts.

GIVE WITH AN OPEN HEART: This means that when we give we do so without judgment or pity. Both of these are just expressions of our ego and neither add anything to our lives or to the lives of the receiver. We remember that with each opportunity to give we have a chance to visit with God. Giving serves a great purpose in our lives as a way to process loss, celebrate people we love and as a way to express gratitude. Giving can be a way to “pay forward” what has been given to us, it can be done in the name or memory of someone we love, or in response to a force (ie…illness) that has come into our life and reminded us how fragile life really is. When we give we must do it with clean intentions and in the spirit of simply reaching out to someone who is struggling.

RECEIVE WITH GRACE: The practice of receiving is what really separates Heartworks from other philanthropy groups such as a Junior League or traditional Foundation. We ask each member to practice receiving on a daily basis as a way to honor the families we are asking to receive from us, as well as having the experience of being on the receiving end as well as the giving end. We can not give, give, give and not practice receiving. This creates imbalance and often resentment in our lives and life is too short for either of these emotions. Receiving also opens us to a level of vulnerability that is not available through giving. When we receive we also gift the person giving to us and so the cycle continues through our choice to receive.

BE GRATEFUL: Practicing gratitude in our lives creates balance and joy in ourselves so that we can bring balance and joy into the world. To be effective, gratitude needs to be practiced on a daily and continuous basis. Gratitude has little or nothing to do with external circumstances, it is a choice we make within ourselves in any given moment. There are powerful examples of gratitude being expressed by people who were in the Holocaust, people who have suffered great loss and people who struggle with great physical discomfort. Gratitude is always an option and is one to be taken seriously under any condition as a way to connect with the power of healing and love.

hEARTWORKS Philosophies

Live each day in gratitude: It is only possible to experience peace and be joyful when we are conscious of the blessings in our lives. In order to give to others, we must take responsibility to look within our own lives at the gifts we have, especially when things are not going the way we want them to go. Gratitude is a choice that needs to be practiced and be an active part of our daily lives the same as making dinner or going to work.

Vulnerability is an avenue to God: We are often resistant to the idea of being vulnerable, and yet this is the space that brings us closest to God. When we give, God is present. When we receive, God is present. These are two things we commit to practicing on a daily basis. The level of vulnerability is different when we are giving than when we are receiving. Sometimes when we give, it is because we are in a comfortable phase of life and it is easy to give. Other times giving is causing us to go beyond our comfort zone by being asked to visit situations we would rather avoid (Grief, illness, aging etc…). Both are important scenarios…to give because we feel grateful as well as to give as a way to engage is things we tend to avoid. By receiving we risk being viewed as being in need of help. The truth is who doesn’t need help? Who doesn’t need hope? Who doesn’t need faith in God and in other people? By exploring both concepts of giving and receiving we are opened to understanding the bigger picture of life and compassion becomes apart of our natural response rather than fear.

PRactice Receiving: If we are going to be giving to others, and expecting them to receive, we must be willing to receive in our own lives as well. When we receive we soften our exterior “masks” by allowing other people to see our humanness, which in turn allows them to show their humanness as well. Heartworks members are encouraged to practice receiving on a daily basis. How you practice receiving is not important- it can be accepting a favor from a friend, giving yourself ten extra minutes of sleep, allowing someone to make you dinner. It is the act of receiving that we commit to doing in our lives. Notice how it makes you feel, is it challenging for you to receive? Is it easy? What is the difference it makes in your day? What is surprising to you about the experience?

Support any child who is working on making a difference in the world: Anytime we can, we support kids who are passionate about creating change! We believe that by supporting children in their efforts we are having an effect on the future of the world. Their experiences with giving at a young age will form the type of adults they will someday become. We want them to feel noticed and supported, so that they will be encouraged to do more! We do this by inviting kids involved in world causes to come to our meetings and sell their products during the social hour or to speak during the meeting about what they are passionate about.

Personalize everything and anything whenever possible: The profound gift of the acts of giving and receiving is that they penetrate all masks, egos, cultural, financial and racial barriers. Get real, get vulnerable, write a note, make a phone call, share your experience, “put yourself out there.” The more we connect, the more we open ourselves to the experiences of others, the more connected and grounded we feel. We are more alike than different and although our life stories have different characters, scenes and places, they are all basically the same.

Be respectful to the receiver at all times: Reaching out to others becomes a blessing in our own lives and so we are grateful for the families who allow us into their experience, if even for a brief time, so that we too can commune with God. Just because someone is experiencing a crisis does not mean that their life is an open book. We are conscious about each act of giving to make sure, to the best of our knowledge that what we are doing something that is helpful to the receiver. We do not need to know much about their history, choices or circumstances. We give them what we can and let the rest go. We remember that we are only one small part of their big life picture.

Keep it Simple: Never underestimate the power of one small act. Heartworks is not about “fixing” people’s lives, it is about offering connection and love while people are experiencing challenges or simply reaching out to another human being regardless of what their current circumstance is. A smile in the grocery store, dinner for a friend, a hand written note, a phone call all have the power to shift someone’s day and open a space for God to be seen in our everyday lives. We live in a culture where there is increasing media and computer connections, and yet we seemed to be more isolated from each other than any other time in history! Heartworks is about doing one small act, that creates a space for healing and miracles to occur.

Is Heartworks a religious group?

No . . . but when you open yourself to the act of giving, and to the vulnerability of life, God is going to inevitably come up in the conversation!

When we give, God is present, when we receive, God is present. We have an amazing opportunity to literally be with God in our everyday life by reaching out to other people. As women and mothers we are often comfortable giving but not necessarily receiving. Heartworks sees receiving as important as giving. When you are fortunate enough to be in a place in your life that you can give to others, be grateful for your circumstances and give. When you are in a place of need, set the example for other women by receiving. We realize that the vulnerability of life puts us at both ends of the spectrum at different times for different reasons.

The idea is to be present with wherever you happen to be on the spectrum on any given day, while remembering that life can shift in a moment. It is good practice to receive and experience what it feels like to be at the mercy of the kindness of others. it is humbling and gives us a greater perspective for the next time we are the "giver."